homify 360°: House S, Bregenz

Dietrich Untertrifaller Architects know a thing or two about creating something magical out of wood. House S, situated in Bregenz, Austria,
is just one of many projects that amply demonstrates this fact. Tucked away in
the mountains, it offers a magical mix of romantic rural seclusion and more contemporary aesthetics.

​The exterior

Most people have a particular lighting or environment that
shows off their best physical features most effectively, and houses can
actually be very similar to us in this respect. In the case of House S, the
conditions required to maximise the beauty of its assets are quite simple:
snow, snow and more snow. As this picture shows, it’s the ultimate accessory
for a modern home inspired by traditional wood cabins, showing up the pretty
stripes created by the narrow wooden planks to their best effect.

As conventional as this setting may be for a house of this
style, there are plenty of features that show evidence that the architects
behind this project are far from slaves to custom. The uneven distribution of
the windows, for example – as well as their uneven size, and the wood sections
that divide up those on the lower floor – shows that symmetry and exactness
were not priorities here; that there was the hope of achieving something a
little more raw.

​The site

Finding a location and visual style that work as partners rather
than competing against each other is a great challenge for many architects, but
who could deny that in this case that goal has been thoroughly achieved? It’s not
easy to picture a backdrop that would better suit the house, or a house that
would better suit the backdrop.

​Top-heavy

The unbalanced nature of the house, which accommodates the
gentle incline of the ground on which it is built, is most clearly seen here.
Choosing a different material for the external cladding of the lower portion
makes it seem like it’s a separate object; like the house is just resting on it
and the two are not connected. This is not, of course, the case.

​The kitchen and dining area

Inside, the pleasing stripy effect continues due to the use
of wood with strong contrasts in tone. The room is peaceful, uncluttered,
absolutely understated, with not an item more on display than is absolutely
necessary for the tasks involved in day-to-day living. The space feels quite
modern, certainly far from dated, but there are no definite indicators of era
to be seen anywhere, and the style of the interior is unique enough that it’s
difficult to place exactly in time.

​The kitchen

One entire wall of the kitchen is given over to this
enormous, square window, which not only provides plenty of light but acts as
the only real piece of decoration required here. Why bother hanging a picture
on the wall when it’s possible to just look out and see that marvellous wintry
scene?

​The stairs and landing

There is, of course, a great deal more wood to be found up
here, but the decision to use a glass dividing wall to act as a barrier to the
stairs brings an undertone of something different. This floor appears less
rustic and more contemporary, leaning towards minimalism rather than rural
chic.